Insulated rail joint



June 6, 1939.

c. A. DISBRO W INSULATED RAIL JOINT Original Filed Sept. 10, 1935 Q glwucmtm Grimm Ularlisom/lDis brow,

@x 9% 2052\4395 aw M N N Patented June 6 1939 UNITED STATES INSULATED RAIL JOINT I Clarkson A. Disbrow, New Rochelle, N. Y., as-

signor to Poor & Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application September 10, 1935, Serial No. 39,975, now Patent No. 2,099,680, dated November 23, 1937. Divided and this application June 19, 1937, Serial No. 149,225 4 1 Claim.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has particularreference to a novel and practical form of insulated rail joint as disclosed in my prior 1 application, Serial No. 39,975, filed September 10, 1935, now Patent No. 2,099,680, dated November 23, 1937, of which the present application is a division.

Generally speaking, the object of the present invention is to provide an insulated rail joint wherein the rails are supported at intermittent or spaced points along the length of the joint, whereby an exceptionally tight fit between the component parts of the joint may be effected and I maintained, whereby the natural wave motion of the rails may pass substantially uninterruptedly through the joint, and whereby bending strains are distributed along the length of the joint rather than localized at the middle of the joint, as in the case of most present types of insulated joints, all to the end of reducing friction and. wear on the joint parts and materially increasing their life, particularly the life of the insulating parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated rail joint of the character stated which may be produced easily and economically as an original construction, and in which renewals of the insulating parts thereof may be effected quickly, easily and economically.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated rail joint wherein the rails are supported at intermittent or spaced locations along the length of the joint and wherein there is eliminated any danger of a circuit being established a through the joint due to the collection of metallic particles or other foreign matter in the clearance spaces between the intermittent or spaced locations where the rails are supported.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

ture of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an insulated rail joint constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention.

7 .Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections on the lines v 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig.1.

7 According to each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention the meeting end portions of a pair of rails are designated as A, A, the splice bar is designated as B, and the joint bolts are designated as C. As usual, each rail includes a head III, a web II and a base l2. Similarly, the splice bar in each instance includes, as usual, a head I3, a web I4 and a foot flange l5.

In a rail joint wherein the splice bar has loading cooperation throughout its length, or substantially throughout its length, with the rails, it is difficult to effect and to maintain a tight relationship between the bar and the rails. Moreover, the wave motion of the rails is not permitted to pass freely through the joint and bending strains are localized at the middle of the joint rather than being distributed along the length thereof. According to prior practice the splice bars of practically all insulated joints have loading cooperation substantially throughout their lengths with the rails. Consequently, the insulating material interposed between the splice bars and the rails is subjected, especially at its middle, to severe bending strains, which often result in its rupture, and to rapid abrasion and wear, necessitating frequent renewals thereof.

According to each of the embodiments of the present invention the insulation interposed between the splice bar and the rails affords loading cooperation of the splice bar with the rails at points spaced longitudinally along the bar, with clearance spaces between said loading points. The present joint therefore may be drawn tighter, and may be maintained tighter, than a joint of the full length loading type. the wave motion of the rails is permitted to pass substantially uninterruptedly through the joint and bending strains are distributed along the length of the joint rather than being concentrated at the middle of the joint. As a result, bending strains, friction and wear on the parts of the joint, especially the insulating parts of the joint, are greatly reduced and the life of the insulating parts and of the joint, considered as a whole, is materially increased.

According to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, head and base pieces of insulation I6 and I1, respectively, extend the full length of the joint and have cooperating therewith short-length head and base shims of insulation I8 and 19, respectively.

The head piece l6 of insulation includes a substantially horizontally disposed portion l6 interposed between the top of the splice bar B and the under sides of the heads of the rails, and a substantially vertically disposed portion lfi interposed between the web of the splice bar and the webs of the rails, the said vertically disposed portion lG extending downwardly below the tops of the joints and having notches accommodating said bolts whereby the head piece of insulation is held against creeping endwise from its operative position between the splice bar and the rails. Similarly, the base piece I! of insulation includes a substantially horizontally disposed portion Il interposed between the base of the splice bar At the same time,

and the upper faces of the rail flanges, and a substantially vertically disposed portion I! interposed between the web of the, splice bar and the webs of the rails, the said vertically disposed portion I! extending upwardly beyond the bottoms of the joint bolts and having notches accommodating said bolts whereby the base piece of insulation is held against creeping endwise from its operative position between. thesplice bar and the rails.

A pair of short-length head shims of insulation l8 are disposed at the ends, of the joint, re-

spectively, and a third short-length head shim-of;

insulation I8 is disposed medially of the joint in overlapping relationship to the rail ends. These short-length head shims I8 of insulation may be interposed either between the splice bar and the head piece of insulation l6, or between the rails and said head piece of insulation IE, but preferably they are interposed between the-rails and the head piece of insulation as shown. In either case, they are spaced apart longitudinally of the joint toprovide clearance spaces ZIlbetweenthe splice bar and the railsintermediate the ends and the middle of the joint whereby the splice bar, at its head, has intermittentl or spaced points of loading cooperation with the rails as heretofore stated.

As in, the case of the head piece I6-of insulation, each short-length head piece l8 of insulation includes substantially horizontally and vertically disposed portions l8 and m respectively, having the same relationship to the splice bar and the rails asithe portions l6 and I6 respectively, of the, head piece of insulation l6. Moreover, as in the case of the vertically disposed portion 16 of the insulation It, the verticallydisposed portions I8 of the short-length'head shims of insulation lflextend downwardly beyond the tops of the joint bolts and are notched to accommodate related bolts whereby said short-length headpieces of insulation are, held against creeping endwisefrom their operative; positions in the joint.

While onlya single medial short-length shim l8, of insulation of approximately twice: the length oftheend shims l8 of insulation is preferred, obviously two separateshort-length head shims i8 of insulation of: the samelength as the end shims I8, may be, employed at the-middle-of the'joint', in which, event the short length head shims'may all be of the same length.

A pair of short-length base shims of insulation, l9 are disposedv at the ends of the joint, respectively, and a third short-length basejshimoi insulation I9 is disposed at the middle of, the

joint in overlapping relationship to the rail ends. As, in the case of the short-length head shims of, insulation, Hi, the, short-length base shims: of insulation l9 may be interposed either between the splice bar and the base piece of insulation. IT, or between the rails and said base piece; of insulation H, but preferably they are interposed between the rails and the base piece of insulation I! as shown, In either case, they are spaced apart longitudinally of the joint corresponding to the spacing of the short-length head pieces ofinsulation I8 to provide clearance spaces 21 between the splice bar and the rails intermediate the ends and the middle of the joint whereby the splice bar, at its base,,,has intermittent, or spaced,

points of loadingv cooperation with the, rails.

Each short-length base shimof insulation includes substantially horizontally and vertically disposed portions l9 and I9 respectively, having the same relationship to the splice bar and the rails as the portions I! and. N respectively, of the base piece of insulation 11. Moreover, as in the case of the vertically disposed portion I'l of the basepiece of insulation 11, the vertically disposed portions 19 of the short-length base shims of insulation l9 extend upwardly beyond the bottoms of the joint bolts and are notched to accommodate related bolts whereby said shortlength base pieces of insulation are held against creeping endwise from their operative positions in the joint.

As in the case of the medial short-length head shim l8 of insulation, the medial short-length base shim I9 of insulation may be comprised by only one or two parts.

An end post of insulationZZ is interposed between the ends of'the rails, andthe joint bolts are insulated in any known or suitable manner from the splice bar and, if desired, from the-rails. It is apparent, therefore,- that the rails are eifectively insulated from each other, that intermittent or spaced points of loading cooperation of the rails with the splice bar are provided with the attendant advantages heretofore set forth, and that; due to the head and base pieces 16 and IQ of insulation therails are maintained insulatedeven though metallic particles or other matter may collect intheclearance-spaces 20 and 2!.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,

and it will of course be understood that changes said; bar, a short-length, insulating shim interposed between the rails and said head piece of insulation at the middle of the joint and bridging the rail ends, a pair of separate short-length insulating. shims interposed between said headpiece ofinsulation and the rails and located, respectively, at the opposite ends of the joint in spaced relationship to said first mentioned shim, abase piece of insulation underlying the base of the splice bar and extending continuously substantially throughout the length of said bar, a short-length insulating shimv interposed between therails and said base-piece of insulation at the middle of the joint and bridging the rail ends, anda pair of separate short-length insulating shims interposed between said base-piece of insulation and the rails and located; respectively, at the opposite endsof the joint in spaced relationship to said first mentioned shim, the spaced relation between the short-length middle shims and the short-length end shims providing intermediate rail clearance spaces and the full-length head and base pieces of insulation bridging said spaces to prevent short-circuiting at these locations.

CLARKSON A. DISBROW. 

